Sports

The replacements have arrived and Carleton Ravens coach Marty Johnston hopes the infusion of new talent will halt the team's midseason swoon.

Expected to be a contender this season, the Ravens (10-6-2) remain a force in the OUA men's hockey East division, but a losing streak that began before the holiday break has followed them into the new year and they now find themselves in fifth place and fading.

Last Friday's 7-5 loss to the second-place UQTR Patriotes followed a 3-2 loss to the third-place Ottawa Gee Gees earlier that week.

The Ravens have added defenceman Tim Billingsley over the break. He joined the team in time for a pair of holiday exhibition games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves as well as their 2012 opener against the Gee Gees.

Billingsley, a former seventh-round draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes, left the Central Hockey League's Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees and will make use of his OHL education package after spending five seasons with the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors and Niagara Ice Dogs.

While Johnston expects Billingsley to add depth and versatility to the Ravens' blueline, the defenceman is better known for his shutdown skills.

He's a player we recruited heavily over the summer," said Johnston. We really like what he brings. He gave the pro game a shot and he knows he can always go back to pro hockey after he finishes here."

The Ravens have also activated forward Andrew Glass, a skilled player with hands, who played NCAA hockey with the Boston University Terriers.

Glass, selected by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round of the 2007 NHL draft, just five spots behind the Toronto Maple Leafs' Carl Gunnarsson, is getting to know the OUA game after spending the first half watching from the press box.

Johnston knows it will take some time for his replacements to get their bearings in the OUA.

Glass is getting used to the fact the players are every bit as good as NCAA players, but much more physical," said Johnston.

The task at hand for the Ravens is to end their slump before the Toronto Varsity Blues (9-6-3), just one point back, and the Concordia Stingers (9-7-2), two points back, overtake them.

We have been struggling to find our identity," explains Johnston. We've added a few guys and we have a couple of guys back from injury, but we have been lacking consistency."

Finding consistency will be a challenge in itself, but even a well-playing Ravens team could stumble in what appears to be a brutal remaining schedule.

The Ravens, who face the Nipissing Lakers (10-5-4) tonight at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m., must also face the UQTR Patriotes (14-5-1) once and the McGill Redmen (15-1-2) three times before the end of the regular season.

We have to find ways to win," said Johnston. We have to generate more offence than we have in the last five or six games. We've got to go back to the drawing board and try to get more pucks to the net and get more traffic and get more rebounds."

Tough as it sounds, the Ravens do have the star power to turn things around.

The Ravens will be counting on goalie Matthew Dopud, the former Rimouski Oceanic, who was an OUA rookie all-star last season.

Dopud is widely regarded as the best goaltender in the league and is currently third in the league with a .921 save percentage.

Brandon MacLean, the former Soo Greyhound, continues his torrid scoring pace, with nine goals and 29 points in 18 games making him the third highest scorer in the league.

The Ravens are optimistic former Owen Sound Attack defenceman Matt Stanisz will emerge as an OUA all-star. Stanisz, who attended the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie camp in September, was a key figure in the Attack's Memorial Cup run last spring.

Again, Matt is a guy whose comfort level on our blueline we are happy with," said Johnston.

He's realizing when he goes into the corner in this league, he is going against guys with size and muscle."

Johnston is very aware his top players must win footraces and battles along the boards. It's a simple remedy for any team mired in a prolonged slide.

We are looking to get to a place where we're happy with our effort," he said.